A resident of Sitio Villagonzalo 2, Barangay Tejero, complains against the mounds of garbage that are left by the road along David C. Gaisano Street. Residents and motorists claim that the trash has been lying there before the Sinulog celebration and only half has been collected by City Hall’s Department of Public Services (DPS). (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has a message for Cebu City: “Dump your garbage in the Consolacion sanitary landfill temporarily.”
DENR Undersecretary Isabelo Montejo gave this advice as City Hall continued to search for a landfill within which to dump the city’s trash following a cease and desist order issued to a private landfill in Aloguinsan town, midwest Cebu which had operated without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
According to Montejo, DENR had suggested the use of the DENR-accredited Consolacion landfill as early as October last year when the agency ordered the closure of the city’s Inayawan landfill.
But it was in Aloguinsan where the city’s private hauler, Jomara Konstruckt Corp., disposed of Cebu City’s trash since the start of 2017.
“It’s now up to the Cebu City government if they would take this advice. This problem will be solved if everybody is cooperating,” Montejo told Cebu Daily News as he aired some amount of frustration over the city’s nagging trash problem.
Compared to other landfills in the province, the sanitary landfill in Consolacion town, northern Cebu is believed to be the most qualified because it can accommodate the large volume of garbage from Cebu City and has complied with DENR requirements.
“They can’t dump in Aloguinsan because there is no ECC yet. A study in the area is still ongoing,” Montejo said.
Last Monday, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) sent an order to the private landfill in Barangay Punay to stop accepting garbage because it had yet to secure an ECC.
The order signed by EMB-7 Regional Director William Cuñado was addressed to Rafael Moreno, the landfill’s project proponent and son of Aloguinsan Mayor Augustus Caesar Moreno.
The operation of the landfill became the subject of an EMB-7 investigation following complaints from Carcar City residents against the foul odor coming from leachate or liquid waste leaking from dump trucks passing by the city to dump garbage in Aloguinsan. Carcar is about 30 minutes away from Aloguinsan.
MONTEJO
“In order to prevent grave or irreparable damage to the environment, you are hereby directed to immediately cease and desist from further accepting any garbage in your facility until the approval of your ECC and other environmental permits,” the order, dated last Jan. 20, read.
Earlier on Jan. 10, EMB also issued a notice of violation against the Aloguinsan landfill when the agency learned that its project development was ongoing despite the absence of an ECC.
Moreno was ordered to submit a written explanation on the alleged violation during a technical conference scheduled on Friday, Jan. 27 at the EMB-7 office.
“If this will not be solved at the regional level, then we will let our National Solid Waste Management Commission handle it,” the DENR undersecretary said.
Presidential Decree 1586 states that no person, partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any environmentally critical project or area without first securing an ECC issued by the President or his duly authorized representative.
The landfill in Aloguinsan is considered an environmentally critical project because it is located in a limestone area. Limestone could easily absorb leachate which may contaminate underground water sources used by surrounding deep wells.
“It needs a liner so that it (leachate) will not be absorbed in the (limestone) cavities. Once the water table is contaminated, then it is difficult to control,” Montejo said.
On the other hand, the landfill in Consolacion is largely built on clay which is relatively impermeable to water.
Jomara
Meanwhile, Jomara Konstruckt Corp., the city’s private hauler, may be cited for violation of contract if it continues to dump in Aloguinsan.
Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez
Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez, executive assistant of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, said the city government may even be constrained not to pay Jomara, if it is later advised by the Commission on Audit (COA).
A purchase order (PO) signed by the mayor and a Jomara representative expressly stated that Jomara must dump the city’s garbage in a facility duly accredited by DENR.
“That is the problem of the provider. Maybe the COA will say that since there is a violation of the contract, we should not pay them,” Fernandez told reporters.
Fernandez pointed out that this could also be a problem for the city because if the city won’t pay Jomara, the company will eventually stop hauling the city’s trash.
“I hope the DENR (EMB) will help the provider look for an area where they can dump it. If there is also a way for us to help the provider, we will help them,” he said.
Department of Public Services (DPS) assistant head John Paul Gelasque said that because of the Aloguinsan landfill problem, Jomara will now have to dump all of the city’s garbage to the private landfill in Consolacion.
Jomara was reported to have been dumping at both in Consolacion and Algouinsan landfills.
Sought for comment, environment committee chairman and Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said he hoped Jomara could address the matter soon.
Garganera added that his focus now was to ensure that the city-owned Inayawan dumpsite will remain close and that the city stop using one of its prime destinations — the South Road Properties (SRP) — as a transfer station for its garbage.